We just released an update to our Android app with a new feature that many of you have been asking for: a barcode scanner! Here's how it works:

1. On the favorites screen, you'll see a new barcode icon (shown below). Tap it to activate the barcode scanner.

2. Place the barcode you are trying to scan within the viewfinder.

3. Once the barcode has been read, we'll search for it in our database. If we have a match, we'll display it and you can add it to your diary.

4. If you think we have matched your barcode with the wrong item, you can let us know by scrolling down and tapping the "Not correct? Find Better Match" button (shown below).

One word of warning: we currently have only a limited set of barcode data available, but we are working on growing it as quickly as possible. If you are not finding matches for the barcodes you scan, please continue scanning! The more you scan, the faster we can collect barcodes to then try to associate with foods in our database.

At this time, this feature is available for the Android app only. We are planning on bringing this functionality to the iPhone app as well, but for now, barcode scanning is available only for Android users.

If you have any questions or suggestions, just let us know in the comments.

Incredibly enough, another MFP member appeared on the Today show this week: Tami Shumate has been a member of MyFitnessPal since January 2009 and has lost an amazing 186 pounds! If you haven't met Tami yet, check out the clip below to learn more about her inspiring story:

Congratulations Tami for appearing on the show and for reaching your goals! You're an inspiration to all of us!